Drowning
by Caty C
Summary: Told from Stefan's point of view, about when he saved Elena from drowning when she and her parents went into the lake.


Drowning

Mystic Falls was a lot different than what it had been since I was last here in 1953. There were more houses, and there was a high school now. It was certainly different from the Mystic Falls that I grew up in, when there was just the main street where all the shops were and the houses surrounding it. There wasn't even a properly paved road. I always thought that it was silly how the ancient Romans had their version of a paved road and Mystic Falls wouldn't even consider putting one in.

I walked along the side streets of town, trying not to be seen by anyone. If even one person recognized me, my secret could come out. I didn't want that, not in a million years. I had finally started to make a life for myself, and I almost succeeded in blending in with the humans, except for my abnormally pale skin and my agility. I was starting to feel alive again, not like the monster that I was. I glanced at my surroundings, checking out some of the newer buildings as well as visiting some of the ones that had been there since I had been turned. It was nice revisiting the past, though sometimes it proved more painful that beneficial. I continued my walk around town, moving slowly to take in all the new things that Mystic Falls had to offer.

I was so glad that Damon wasn't here this time. Maybe I could settle down here again, living amongst the citizens of the town in peace and harmony. When Damon was around, there was always chaos. But if I ever managed to escape is ever searching eye, the place that I settled usually stayed peaceful. You see, Damon and I didn't get along. Ever since we met Katherine, we had not liked each other. We always fought for her affections, each one always finding a way to 'outmaneuver' the other. Neither of us succeeded in winning her heart: she chose us both. And that did not sit well with either Damon or I.

I came across a building called 'The Mystic Grill'. It looked inviting, so I went in. I was met with loud music and the smell of delicious food being cooked. I was glad that I had still retained my taste for human food since becoming a vampire. It was still enjoyable for me, though I could not digest it. It kind of just stayed in my stomach until I could return home and throw it up.

The 'Grill' as I heard people call it was painted a lovely color, and the wood was dark and beautiful. I made my way to a table close to the back near a small group of teenagers who were laughing and drinking and playing pool; presumably, they were having fun. I sat myself down at the table beside them and waited for a waiter or waitress to come to the table.

"YOU ARE SO NOT WINNING AGAIN, BONNIE!" shouted the female blond one.

"Don't be a sore loser, Caroline!" laughed the male with dark brown hair.

They all looked like they were having so much fun; being young was fun, unless you have been 'young' for 145 years.

"Elena, why don't you get in here?" asked the male with short blond hair. The girl he was speaking to turned to face him, and I almost had a heart attack. She was a dead ringer for Katherine; the same brown hair, the same body, the same eyes. I looked away to hide my shock, hoping that they had not noticed.

"I can't, Matty, I'm waiting for my mom and dad to call. They are supposed to be picking me up," said Elena. Her voice was even the same as Katherine's.

"Matt's right, Elena, stop being a stick in the mud," said the little one that I presumed was Bonnie.

"I'm not being a stick in the mud, I just want my parents to get here. I have a chem test tomorrow, remember?" Elena said quietly. I could tell from the sound of her voice that she was not really in the mood to argue with her friends.

"Just leave her alone, Bonnie. She clearly doesn't want to be here," said the brown haired male.

"Ty, you know that's not the case. You have the same chem test tomorrow, you should be studying as well."said Elena.

Just when she finished her sentence, she glanced at the door and ran to the two people who just came in. I could hear what they were saying clearly, even from the other side of the room. That was just one of the many perks of being a vampire.

"Mom, I'm so glad you're here. Everyone is starting to get a little...crazy," Elena nodded her head towards her friends; they were clearly intoxicated.

"Let's go, honey. You've got a lot of studying to do, and Jeremy apparently needs your help with some homework," said Elena's father.

I followed them out of the restaurant before I had anything to eat, and ran behind their car on the way to their house. I wanted, needed, to know more about her, but maybe following her home was not the best way to do that. It was dark out, now, and it was starting to rain. The car was coming close to the bridge, and if I knew that bridge, it would be getting slippery right about now. The car drove onto the bridge, and began to skid. I heard someone scream as the car went through the rail of the bridge and down into the icy water below. I ran faster and dove into the water, immediately targeting the unconscious Elena. Elena's parents were unconscious as well, but I had to get Elena out of the water and breathing again. I unbuckled her seat belt and dragged her out of the car, swimming to the surface as fast as I could. As soon as we were on the shore, I scooped her up into my arms and ran in the direction of the hospital, if it was still in the same place as it had been in 1953.

"There's been an accident on the bridge!" I cried as I carried her into the emergency room. Immediately, nurses and doctors came and took her from me, presumably taking her to a bed where they could treat her.

"I...I only barely managed to...to...save her," I shivered, thinking it appropriate considering how cold the water in the lake was and the fact that it was raining. The nurse immediately ran to a phone to call the ambulance drivers and told them to get down to the bridge. She escorted me to a chair and wrapped me in a large, warm blanket, and told me to wait there.

It seemed like days before the nurses came out and told me I could see Elena. I slowly got up out of my chair and followed the nurse to Elena's room. She was still unconscious when we arrived there.

"She's going to be out of it for a little while, son. It's lucky that you both survived," said the nurse.

"What about her parents, are they alright?" I asked.

"Unfortunately, they didn't make it out. It's a shame you weren't superman and able to pull the whole car out," she said to me. If only she knew that I probably could have pulled the whole car out if I had been thinking about it.

The nurse left me and Elena alone. I just sat next to her for a little while, gazing at her features. They were so similar to Katherine's, and if I wasn't so sure that Katherine was dead, I would have immediately feared that she had found me. But this girl, so simple and fragile, could never have been Katherine, even in another life. Maybe they were related, but I was not about to go searching for that now; I needed to stay here with Elena.

After about an hour, she began to stir.

"Where...where am I? What happened?" she asked, her eyes still closed.

"You're at the hospital, Elena. You were in a car accident," I said, gently stroking her cheek.

"Are my parents...ok?"she asked sleepily. I could tell she would not be awake for much longer.

I did not have the heart to tell her that her parents were dead, much less that I had not even made an effort to save them. I continued to stroke her cheek until she fell back asleep, wishing that I could stay here with her. But it was not the time for that; maybe I would come back next year and check on her.

I tossed my blanket into the laundry bin in the hallway and darted out the window of Elena's room. Mystic Falls was not ready for the me to be back yet, and I had already caused enough damage for one day. I ran and ran until I was outside of the city limits, not planning on looking back.


End file.
